View Full Version : How high do you keep your T5's?
lonewolfbefree
08/12/2008, 10:32 AM
If you keep SPS under T5, how high above the water line are your lights? My impression is that light height is highly variable.
Please post the number of bulbs you run, the size of your tank, and how high above the water line your lights are.
cveverly
08/12/2008, 10:51 AM
I run a 6 tube T5 fixture over a 46 gallon tank. The lights are about 5" off the surface of the water.
Justin74
08/12/2008, 12:38 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13139411#post13139411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cveverly
I run a 6 tube T5 fixture over a 46 gallon tank. The lights are about 5" off the surface of the water.
Exact same except over a 50g :)
-Justin
gavinbree
08/12/2008, 03:09 PM
8 x 54 watts over a 100 gallon tank, 6-7 inches from the water surface.
dwilly
08/12/2008, 03:57 PM
I run 6 x 54 over a 75 and I keep them about 7" off of the water surface because I have a sea swirl that needs to fit in between.
SteveNMegz
08/12/2008, 04:08 PM
6x84w 7" above a 4 foot 65G
reefrick.M
08/12/2008, 05:27 PM
Constellation fixture right on top of the tank.:rollface:
MoReefer
08/12/2008, 06:06 PM
8x54w over a 120gal (4'x2'x2') 7" from water surface.
broke1
08/12/2008, 06:36 PM
8 54W on Icecaps, about 5" off the water.
Peter Eichler
08/12/2008, 07:08 PM
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1449733
I know the search is a little tough on this site, but at least scan the first page before making a new thread :lol:
lonewolfbefree
08/12/2008, 07:45 PM
I apologize for that Peter. I noticed after the fact. I was so busy looking in all the older posts I missed the one right in front of me. Your idea first, not mine. A worthy thread, however.
wiso reef
08/12/2008, 09:13 PM
i run 6x54w on my 75gls at 10'' over the surface
Witch-King
08/12/2008, 09:35 PM
I run 4 39 watt bulbs over my 46 gallon bow (ATI Fixture), 7 inches above the surface. I run all four bulbs for 4 and a half hours, but the blue plus bulbs run for a total of 9. Everything including clams (crocea and max) on the very bottom have shown great growth in the last 4 or 5 months since I purchased them. I've started feeding my sps corals every 3 days in hopes of achieving darker colors, I've seen a slight difference, but only time will tell.
I can't believe I used to run a 500+ watt fixture, when I really only needed slightly more then 150. However to be fair, I did know it was overkill with my other fixture because anything over a 4 hour duration at max wattage and everything would bleach.
Peter Eichler
08/12/2008, 09:49 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13143037#post13143037 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lonewolfbefree
I apologize for that Peter. I noticed after the fact. I was so busy looking in all the older posts I missed the one right in front of me. Your idea first, not mine. A worthy thread, however.
No worries, wasn't my post anyhow. Was just steering you towards more results that might not get posted here, and being a smartass while doing so. :p
mhaith
08/13/2008, 12:07 AM
9 X 39w & 9 X 54w 5 inches over a 210g 80X24X24
Staggered lighting
13hrs 4 Blue+
11hrs 3 Blue+/3 Aquablue/3 Color Pro
9hrs 3 Blue+/3 Aquablue
Mik_101
08/13/2008, 01:26 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13139411#post13139411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cveverly
I run a 6 tube T5 fixture over a 46 gallon tank. The lights are about 5" off the surface of the water.
Hey is it a 46g bow front?
pwoller
08/13/2008, 04:51 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13142769#post13142769 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1449733
I know the search is a little tough on this site, but at least scan the first page before making a new thread :lol:
We should encourage questions, not make people feel like they can't ask questions because they might have been asked previously. Searching on this forum isn't all that easy.
I run my T5's 6 inches above the water line.
pIankton
08/13/2008, 05:22 AM
6 bulb Tek over my 90 - approximately 4" - 5" above.
lonewolfbefree
08/13/2008, 08:25 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13143872#post13143872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wiso reef
i run 6x54w on my 75gls at 10'' over the surface
Is there a particular reason you keep your lights so high?
dwilly
08/13/2008, 10:00 AM
Another issue you may want to consider is if the lighting is open to the water or if there is a splash shield on the lights or a glass cover on the tank. Any type of shield will reduce the intensity of the lighting to the tank. If you run wide open then you might be able to (or need to) keep the lights higher above the water.
lonewolfbefree
08/13/2008, 10:29 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13146435#post13146435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwilly
Another issue you may want to consider is if the lighting is open to the water or if there is a splash shield on the lights or a glass cover on the tank. Any type of shield will reduce the intensity of the lighting to the tank. If you run wide open then you might be able to (or need to) keep the lights higher above the water.
There is a discussion going on in the following thread, http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1332562, that is talking about that issue in relation to PAR values. My question is more of a general census kind of question. The answers are as varied as I thought they might be. It is the variation that interests me.
Mik_101
08/13/2008, 12:11 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13144027#post13144027 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Witch-King
I run 4 39 watt bulbs over my 46 gallon bow (ATI Fixture), 7 inches above the surface. I run all four bulbs for 4 and a half hours, but the blue plus bulbs run for a total of 9. Everything including clams (crocea and max) on the very bottom have shown great growth in the last 4 or 5 months since I purchased them. I've started feeding my sps corals every 3 days in hopes of achieving darker colors, I've seen a slight difference, but only time will tell.
I can't believe I used to run a 500+ watt fixture, when I really only needed slightly more then 150. However to be fair, I did know it was overkill with my other fixture because anything over a 4 hour duration at max wattage and everything would bleach.
Do you keep sps? beacuse I am considering switching to t5
cveverly
08/13/2008, 02:15 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13145051#post13145051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mik_101
Hey is it a 46g bow front?
Yes it is.
avaneaton2000
08/13/2008, 05:48 PM
4x24 tek fixture 3" over 12" tall tank
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